To mark World Environment Day (5 June), the European Children's Hospitals Organisation (ECHO) last week made a Green Promise - building on existing efforts at individual children’s hospitals with the collective ambition to support the global effort to tackle environmental threats to children’s health.
The promise calls for ambitious change and commits ECHO members to becoming agents of that change, integrating environmental priorities within their overarching mission to provide the highest quality healthcare so children can thrive and reach their full potential.
This initiative, led by Global Green & Healthy Hospitals’ member, Meyer Children’s Hospital (Italy), in partnership with HCWH Europe, lays the foundation for future work amongst ECHO hospitals and international partners. With this promise, ECHO members are committed to:
- Making sustainability an integral part of how they care for children
- Bolstering their capacity to care for children in a changing environment
- Using their hospital spaces to improve relationships with the natural environment
All in the spirit of collaboration and the ambition to amplify this work amongst other actors; learn more in ECHO’s Green Promise.
Importantly, with this statement, ECHO has also committed to working towards science-based targets and quantifiable actions, as well as initiating mechanisms to gauge progress. HCWH Europe welcomes this level of commitment and ambition from ECHO, particularly at such a challenging time for hospitals globally. We look forward to working with ECHO members to implement these actions, and assist them in tracking their progress towards their sustainability goals.
European Children's Hospitals Organisation
Join the Global Green & Healthy Hospitals network